This invention relates to a window shade cutter and, more particularly, to a cutter for manually trimming the end of a shade to length.
The number of sizes of window openings into which window shades must be fitted is limited. Practically, all shades will be in the range of 25 to 72 inches in roller length, but there are window openings for every dimension within that range, and in older houses, the window openings are frequently less than 25 inches wide. In the application of shades to windows, the shades must conform to the window size rather than the window size conforming to the available size of shades manufactured. This is true not only for newly constructed buildings, but obviously also for those buildings which were erected many years ago. For these reasons, when a customer wants a shade, it is common practice to select an oversized shade and cut its length to conform to the size of the window opening into which the shade is to be mounted.
One type of window shade now being manufactured includes two sections, one being telescopable into the other, for supporting the shade material so that sizing of the shade can be effected merely by cutting the shade material and the slat running through the lower hem, sliding the cut material from the roller, and telescoping the projecting portion of the roller into its adjoining section. Window shades of this type are described and disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,203,468; 3,299,944; and 3,580,323, all assigned to the assignee of this invention.
A principal outlet for shades of this type and the place in which much of the cutting to size is performed is the variety, discount, or department store. The difficulty in achieving a smooth, even and well-trimmed shade edge virtually requires that the cutting to size be performed on a conventional retail outlet shade cutting machine. The cutting of a shade to size in such establishments is at best an annoying undertaking. For example, the operation requires first measuring the length of the shade to conform the length to the premeasured size of the window opening to determine the point at which the shade is to be trimmed, mounting the rolled shade in the cutting machine, aligning the cutoff blade with the measured trim line, starting the machine to rotate the shade, urging the cutoff blade towards the shade until the shade material is cut completely through and the roller is reached, stopping the machine, removing the trimmed shade material, and removing the trimmed shade from the machine. Even with the machine, however, the trimming of window shades for the customer is regarded as a disagreeable and time-consuming task. Because of the number and difficulty of steps required to size the shade, it is not customary for this operation to be performed by the consumer in the home.